Before buying a tax lien or deed, you really need to find out what you are buying. We spoke last about researching the property so you don’t invest in a property that cannot be resold. Now the next logical step would be to do the actual research. There are a few places you want to check for each property

1. County Assessor Website – Here you will find tax information and details about the property, including value, recent sales, owner information, and building details.

2. Maps – If you are shopping in a county that you are not familiar with or cannot visit, you will have to rely on maps to check the surrounding area. Google maps are a great start so you can get as close to the property as possible, view nearby properties for sale, view nearby businesses, and explore the location. GIS maps provide even more county and property specific details and can be found on the county website.

3. Court Documents – If the property has any judgments against you, you will want to be aware of them. You can also find public documents related to your property by visiting the county’s website and navigating to its public records.

This is just the tip of the iceberg and can be very time consuming for the investor who really wants to work countywide and doesn’t want to spend their life Googling looking for websites and referrals for each county. There is a resource available where you can download lists, extract any packages, and then review all of the above and more from one simple site. I will give this resource in the next post.